1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a simulation apparatus and method used to simulate a sensor network, and more particularly, to a simulation apparatus and method used to simulate a sensor network, wherein a sensor node of a real testbed is reflected in a simulation and enabling bidirectional communication between a real node and a virtual node so as to reflect a status of the real node in a simulation and reflect a simulation status in the real node, thereby making a real physical environment and a simulation environment consistent with each other and performing simulation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless sensor networks, which involve environment and ecosystem monitoring, and forest fire and flood control, are scattered outdoors in a wide area where sensing information is collected in real-time through various types of network sensors, such as an image sensor, an ultrasound wave sensor, an infrared sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illumination sensor, and the like. Therefore, these wireless sensor networks are influenced by spatial information such as topography and natural features, and are necessarily designed in consideration of the characteristics of sensors and limited resources (battery power, memory, CPU capabilities, etc.) of sensor nodes. Simulation is generally conducted to optimize wireless sensor networks.
Simulation systems of conventional sensor networks reflect a real node in a simulation in order to obtain a result from the simulation or input data generated by the real node into the simulation. However, when a real node communication environment and a simulation communication environment are not consistent with each other, one of the results relating to the two environments is reflected.